ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Turkish defense ministry on Saturday announced that one of its soldiers was killed in a clash with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Kurdistan Region. Another two other soldiers were injured.
The soldier, identified as Infantry Specialist Sergeant Kadir Dingil, was killed as a result of "harassing fire" by the PKK, according to a statement from the ministry. The injured were immediately transferred to the hospital for treatment.
Exact details and location of the clash were not published.
The Turkish military also said that it had “neutralized” two PKK fighters in an airstrike in the Qandil region. Ankara uses the term “neutralize” to denote adversaries captured, wounded, or killed.
PKK-affiliated media has not announced any deaths among its ranks as a result of Saturday’s attack, but did report that several areas in the Kurdistan Region were repeatedly struck by Turkish forces, including the Khakurk region and Duhok province’s Amedi district. They also claimed that two Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes in Khakurk.
The attacks come amid an escalation of violence between Turkey and PKK after the armed group killed 12 soldiers in the Kurdistan Region in late December, and Turkey conducted retaliatory strikes on the PKK and its alleged offshoots in Syria.
Turkey sent its army back into northern Duhok province in April 2022, launching Operation Claw-Lock with the goal of targeting PKK positions in Metina, Zap, Avashin, and Basyan areas. The goal of the operation, according to Ankara, is to remove the PKK from the border area and cut off its access to Turkey.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment